Joe Biden, along with some 400,000 Americans, has now received the Pfizer vaccine booster shot as of Monday. The government’s back-and-forth response to this additional booster shot has spurred significant anxiety about receiving the third dose.
The need for a third dose, or booster shot, of the COVID-19 vaccine is not an uncommon practice for infectious diseases. As immunity from the original vaccine starts to wane, receiving a booster shot enables maintenance of immunity for longer. This distribution of booster shots is similar to that of the Shingles vaccine, which encourages two doses distributed within four weeks, the Tdap Vaccine, which suggests a booster shot every 10 years, and, of course, the flu vaccine, which is encouraged every flu season.
Currently, only the Pfizer vaccine has been approved for the third dose; neither Moderna nor Johnson & Johnson have been approved for a booster shot. It is unclear whether they will be approved for a third booster, although Dr. Fauci optimistically stated, “The actual data that we’ll get [on the booster]… is literally a couple to a few weeks away].” So wait your turn! Your booster is coming. The CDC states you should only receive the currently available booster shot if you got two doses of the Pfizer vaccine initially.
Side effects of the third dose are similar to those of the original Pfizer vaccine — fatigue, headache, and muscle pain. According to the 300 participants in the trial study, only 44 participants experienced unexpected side effects like swollen lymph nodes.
Opposition to the third dose of the vaccine comes largely from the right-wing, especially those who oppose vaccination itself. Some 71% of unvaccinated Americans believe that a requirement of a third dose undercuts the effectiveness of the vaccine itself. It seems the distribution of the third dose may widen the political gap between the vaccinated and unvaccinated. This political gap is already wide enough, with one survey indicating that 90% of democrats have received at least one vaccine compared to only 58% of Republicans. Although this pandemic may be slowing down, our internal political rivalry may never end.
Check to see if you’re eligible for a COVID booster shot on the CDC’s website here, and find a list of pharmacies in New York offering the booster here. As always, stay safe, stay sane, and eat the rich.